Tubular end seal for furnace cars



June 1958 R. E. BUCKHOLDT 2,839,283

TUBULAR END SEAL FQR FURNACE CARS Filed March 15, 1956 INVENTOR ADOEERT E. buc/rHoLa-r BY i ATTO EY TUBULAR END SEAL FOR FURNACE CARS Robert E. Buckholdt, Salem, Ohio, assignor to Edgar H. Kendall Application March 15, 1956, Serial No. 571,822 1 Claim. (Cl. 263-28) The present invention relates generally to the heating furnace art and more particularly to a novel seal for effecting a mechanical seal between abutting ends of successive cars being pushed or drawn through a heating chamber.

It is common practice to provide an elongated furnace built over tracks or rails and to push bogie carts through the heating chamber carying the metal objects to be heated. Since the temperatures involved are relatively high, one of the foremost problems encountered is the provision of effective seals between the ends and sides of carts to prevent the escape of heat. This heat also has another undesirable feature in that it scores and warps the structural steel members of the bogie carts after continued exposure and in many instances requires their replacement or repair.

t is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved seal for use between theends of successive cars being pushed through a furnace which substantially reduces the heat lost by connection to the cooler air surrounding the furnace.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a seal which protects the structural portions of the load-bearing cars from the excessive heat generated in the furnace chamber. The protection thus atforded insures a longer operating life for the cars used in a pusher type furnace.

Another object of the invention described herein is to provide an end seal that when used with cooperating side seals reduces the amount of insulating material and fire brick required to construct the heating chamber. With a good seal the furnace proper need only be constructed from the seals to the desired height instead of from the floor on which the buckstays and other supporting members of the furnace rest. large savings of expensive material and time in building the furnace.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide end seals for carts used in pusher type furnaces that require none of the complicated attachment of coupling procedures usually encountered in using previous like equipment. The arrangement disclosed is completely operative without operator attention or supervision as the carts are abutted against each other and the seal is complete.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a sealing means for furnace carts when they are aligned in end-to-end relation although the cooperating end thereof need not be completely abutted but may be separated by a small distance. This is especially important when a cart entering the furnace is given an extra strong push resulting in the separation of one or more carts due to differences in friction, inertia, etc.

Yet a more specific object of the invention is to provide end seals for furnace cars that are of the utmost simplicity and may be easily constructed and manufactured from standard metal pieces, such as pipes and rods, without the use of special machines. The tubular end seal disclosed herein is also adaptable for attachment to bogie This construction results in atentf G V the furnace structure rCC cars already in use in heating furnaces with a minimum of time and cost. In the furtherance of this andthe other objects of the invention the end seal is constructed from a tubular member supported by a rod extending the length thereof attached to one end of a cart and adapted to cooperate with the end of the following car to form a seal. It is further noted that only one tubular seal apparatus is provided for each cart but when successive carts are aligned in end-to-end relation a seal is formed on both ends of the cars.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent upon consideration of the following detailed specification and accompanying drawing wherein is found an illustrated embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l of the drawing is an end view of a bogie type cart having a tubular end seal according to the teaching of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side sectional view showing two furnace cars in abutting relation with the tubular end seal therebetween; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged end sectional the arrangement depicted in Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing and initially to Figure 1 thereof, the numeral 10 refers to a heating chamber structure built over a pair of longitudinally extending rails 11 embedded in the floor 12 of the factory or place where the heating installation is installed. The heating chamber is constructed of top and side walls 13 consisting of insulating material and fire brick and supported above the floor 12 by the structural members or buckstays 14.

A bogie furnace cart 15 is adapted to be pushed through the furnace by suitable means and carries metal objects, such as billets, through the furnace. it is understood that 10 is usually of considerable length so that a plurality of bogie carts 15 are aligned in endto-end relation while being pushed through the furnace.

The bogie cart 15 itself is a four wheeled vehicle having a main rectangular structural frame 16 constructed from a number of angles and plates supported by the axle and wheel assemblies 17 and 15 in the usual manner. The wheel assemblies 18 are properly spaced under the frame 16 so that they rest on the parallel tracks 11 and thereby the bogie cart is adapted for movement through the furnace upon the application of suitable pushing force.

The structural frame is covered by a plate 19 to form a flat bed to which are welded the angles 20 along the edges thereof to form a boxed shaped container. Built on the bed 19 and supported by the angles 2b is an insulating top 21 usually constructed out of fire brick or other suitable material. As noted in the drawing the top 21 is of considerable thickness, making up approximately half the height of the bogie cart 15. The top 21 is also dished on the upward surface thereof to receive a chrome ore or other ceramic hearth 22 which serves as the actual supporting surface for workpieces being carried through the furnace. A chrome ore hearth is used because, when properly prepared, it provides a high quality refractory surface of the density required to support heavy metal objects. The proper preparation of the hearth requires burning-in of the accomplished by apparatus described'in my co-pending patent application Serial No. 571,823, entitled Burn-In Furnace for Chrome Ore Hearths.

The apparatus so far described is more or less of construction well known in the furnace art to be an expedient method of constructing a pusher type furnace and a bogie cart for use therewith. Since the temperatures in the furnace are of considerable magnitude it has been found desirable to provide mechanical seals of view of art of chrome ore and this procedure is Figure 1.

asaaass various types to limit the heat to the top 21 and the chrome ore or other ceramic hearth 22" thus protecting the steel structural undercarriage of the bogie carts 1'5 proper while keeping heat loss to 2.

tends the length of the furnace. Brackets 24 are suitably secured to the buckstays '14. A downwardly directed angle 27 is supported on one side by the buckstays 14 and the insulating side walls 23 in any'normal manner while the other end extends into the sand 25 in the channel 23 to effect a seal prohibiting the escape of heat through spaces that might exist between the chan-r nel 23 and the buckstays' 14. The angle 27'a'lso extends the length of the furnace thus alfording a continuous seal. 7

To complete the side seal a like downwardly orientated angle 27 is welded or attached by some other means to o the bottom of the bed plate 19 of the bogie cart and one end extends into the sand 25 located in the channel 23 forming a sand trough. The angl'e'27 is longer than the bogie cart as will be hereinafter more fully described. It should be understood that each bogie cart 15 is provided with this member 27 along both side edges as Well as the sand carrying channel 23 being situated along both sides of the furnace as'shownin the bogie carts are aligned in end-to-end relation a seal along the side of the carts results. As the cars are pushed through the heating furnace the angles 27 drag in the sand completing the seal.

The structure thus far recited provides for a bogie cart construction having side sand seals for keeping the heat confined to the heating chamber of the furnace proper. It is obvious that if some .typeof seal is not provided between ends of successive carts in the furnace much heat may be lost in the resulting openings. In carrying out the objects of the invention I have provided an effective end seal which is specifically shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing.

Rigidly secured to the end pieces of the structural frame 16 of the bogie cart 15 are the transversely extending pieces 28 attached by'means of the bolt and nut assemblies 29. The most forwardly disposed face of the piece 28 is fitted with a hard steel contact plate 30 by any expedient means which also extends transversely across the end of the cart 15. The arrangement is such that when two cars are pushed together the main contact for pushing is formed along the contact plates 30.

With two carts thus in abutting relation the cooperating pieces 28 on each cart are of such nature to provide an opening generally increasing in cross-sectional area toward the bed plate 19 and the insulating top 21.- This opening is provided for the tubular seal to be hereinafter more fully described. 7 v

The pieces 28 may not extend transversely completely across the end of the cart but may be secured against the edges of the angles 27 piece 28 is tightly held against the bed plate 19. As indicated in the previous discussion the side angles protrude beyond the length of the cart on at least oneend so that the ends thereof are aligned approximately with the pieces 28. Iournaled in the side facesof the angles 27' 31 is the transversely extending rod 7 32. Slidably' mounted on the rod' 32 is a tubular member 33, preferably a section of pipe, Which'is of greater inner diam: eter than the rod 32 and is of such length to reach from one angle 27 to the other disposed on the opposite sideof the bogie cart.

- When the carts are separated the rod .32 supports .the

so that the top part of the at a distance above the contact plates 30' shown as.

pipe length 33 from undue movement in the downward direction and. holds the same inpr'oper position for As a cart is moved into abutting effecting the seal. relation with another cart carrying a tubular end seal the pipe length is wedged between the angled faces of i the pieces 28 but due to the rounded shape of the tubular member 33 does not interfere with the contact plates meeting each other; In this manner the pipe 33 is caused to rest onthe' angled portion of the pieces 28,

to complete the end seal between. the .bogie carts. 15.

It is contemplated that the rear ends of the 'cart'swill be equipped with the tubular end seal in order that when; the front end of the following car isimoved into position an immediate seal is formed against the escape of heat from the furnace and that the construction of alternate ends of the insulating material 21 may be offset to provide a further barrierto the escape of heat.

The seals thus efiected provide, an excellent means. for

keeping the heat within the heatingchamber and in this.

mainnerthe side walls 13 of the" furnace do not need to be built from insulating material from the ground to the roof but only from the plane of the seal which may be a considerable distance from the floor and level of the tracks 11. The advantages are numerous from this construction as much insulating material is saved and. thesize or number of the buckstays and other'supporting members may be reduced. The savings are of considerable magnitude, as the furnaces are usually of great length.

It is also important that" the tracksand structural undercarriage of the bogie carts be protected from the heat and the tubular end seals provided in this application substantially reduces the amount of heat reaching I these parts. In this manner the operating life of the bogie cart is considerably increased asvery little of, the structural support of the cart is above the end and side seal. V r

Since the seals are effective in reducing theheat conducted to the cooler air surrounding :thefurnace the amount of fuel needed to heat the furnace. and maintainv it at proper temperatures is considerably reduced.

It may be further observed that the tubular end" seal I have provided is of the utmostsimplicity in construction, being made from standard metal pieces and vpartsso as tobe readily adapted for use with bogiecarts in apusher type furnace. The seal is equally applicable to cars already in use by providing the end'piece, a rod journaled in the sides of the sand seal angles, and the tubular member carried thereby in the arrangement detailed herein. Attention is also directed tothe fact that the trailing and leading ends of successive bogie carts do not have to be completely contacting each other in order for the seal to be operative. The contact plates maybe separated by a small distan'ce'but the pipe will still be supported by the angled sides of the end pieces and this. is especially important since it is often the case that such a small separation exists as isreadilyunderstood.

Although it is apparent that I have accomplished the objects initially set forth, it should be understood that many changes may be made in the illustrated embodiment and therefore reference should be had to the followingappended claim in determining the'full and complete scope of the-invention.

Iclaim: H g e In a bogie type pusher furnace of the kindhaving an elongated tunnel-like heating chamber and a plurality of bogie carts adapted to be moved'through the lower portion of said chamber in .end-to-end relation thereby forming the bottom wall of said chamber, the improvement which consists of forming each .of said bogie carts with a horizontally disposed structural steel frame for supporting a load-bearing hearth thereon and being in turn supported on the bogie wheels, each end of said frame havingran end surface'with a protruding transverse-i ly disposed lower portion and a contiguous transversely disposed upper portion inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the center of the cart, the arrangement being such that upon two of said carts being assembled in end-to-end relation said lower transverse portions of the adjacent end surfaces of the two carts are in pushing contact while there is provided above said contact a generally enlarged interstice which is generally V-shape in cross section as viewed in a plane longitudinal of the carts, a transversely disposed cylindrical member lying loosely in said interstice and contacting the inclined walls thereof to provide a fluid seal between the contacting ends of the carts, means for securing said member to one of said carts, said frame on each of said carts being formed with a pair of spaced side rails longitudinally coextensive with said lower transverse portions of said end surfaces, the end portions of said side rails extending above said lower transverse portions of said end surface on each end of said carts being thus operative to provide end stops for said cylindrical member, said securing means comprising a relatively small diametered rod extending longitudinally and loosely passing through said cylindrical member and having its ends secured in one of said end portions of said side rails, said longitudinally extending side rails having depending leg portions, troughs attached to the opposite longitudinally extending wall of said heating chamber and being filled with loose granular material, and said depending leg portions adapted to extend into said troughs whereby a continuous fluid seal is provided about the periphery of each of said carts when said carts are in end-to-end relation in said heating chamber and the structural frame and bogie wheels of said carts are protected from the heat of said chamber.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 822,380 Miller et al. June 5, 1906 1,132,681 Parsons Mar. 23, 1915 1,598,176 Tharadsen Aug. 31, 1926 1,777,856 Pearson Oct. 7, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS 991,462 France Oct. 5, 1951 

